How geeks can get involved in politics (and why they should)

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Thomas Gideon, host of the Command Line podcast and technical director of the Open Technology Institute at New America Foundation gave a great speech at the Northeast Linux Fest. His talk, which is outlined in detail here, was about getting free software geeks involved in political activism, and was a thoughtful explanation of the differences between the way free software stuff gets done and the way that Congress gets stuff done. (MP3)

Kirby Ferguson, who created the remarkable Everything is a Remix series, has a new podcast hosted by the Recreate Coalition called Copy This and he hosted me on the debut episode (MP3) where we talked about copying, creativity, artists, and the future of the internet (as you might expect!).

The Data & Society institute (dedicated to critical, interdisciplinary perspectives on big data) held an online seminar devoted to Cathy O’Neil’s groundbreaking book Weapons of Math Destruction, which showed how badly designed algorithmic decision-making systems can create, magnify and entrench the social problems they’re supposed to solve, perpetuating inequality, destabilizing the economy, and making a […]

The Boing Boing Store’s Gift Guide is full of ideas for pretty much anyone in your life like hipster ice cub trays, Xbox controllers, Halo Boards, and even diamond necklaces. As always, all products in the Boing Boing Store come at great discounts, too. Shop by price bucket starting at under $20. Under $20:Bloxx Jumbo Ice Trays […]

Unlike traditional lighters, the SaberLight features an electronic plasma beam that’s both rechargeable and butane-free. This sleek lighter is even approved by TSA, so you’ll never be stuck buying lighters you’ll just have to throw away partially used. For some people, like me, this is a pretty big game-changer. The SaberLight’s beam is actually both hotter and cleaner […]

Holiday shopping is in full swing, and the Striiv Touch is one of the best gift ideas I’ve landed on. Its simple design works for females and males, and its wide range of features makes it suitable for even the non-fitness enthusiasts in your life.Unlike traditional fitness trackers, the Striiv Touch also acts as a smartwatch. It […]

I have an MA and have studied politics in depth including writing a book on how electoral reforms can lead to policy differences and lower corruption by physically going to New Zealand and interviewing several former Prime Ministers.

But I’m also a bisexual, liberal atheist with high functioning autism, living in Texas.

Yeah, getting involved in politics would be a *great* idea, (he said, sarcastically.)

Look, I probably would be a GREAT state senator or assemblyman. I’ve got big ideas and I know what I’m doing. The problem is that I couldn’t get elected in a million years, if I did get elected, I’d be smeared to oblivion, and I don’t actually have any of the skills that make successful politicians.

Politicians are concerned about how to please the populace. Geeks are interested in finding problems and building solutions. We need the latter, but only the former are going to get elected. We get the politicians we deserve. :(

But please don’t go with “It’s a nice idea in theory, but it can never work in practice”. Because it’s pretty obvious that geeks can, in practice, reduce the control that politicians have over the lives of individuals, that in very many cases this is a positive thing, and that we can usually do it most effectively from “outside the system”. Even a cursory look over this very blog is testament to that.

There’s a reason geeks don’t get involved in politics, and it’s not because we’re not smart enough, or don’t care. It’s precisely because we’re too smart to be fooled by smoke and mirrors, and we care too much about actually getting things done to be satisfied with the BS that passes as “progress” in political circles.

It doesn’t take intelligence, aptitude with technology or obscure interests to realize that politicians and governments will lie, many by default. It’s also known that bureaucracies tend to be inefficient. And yes, governments do bad violence. This is not news. These universally recognized truisms predate the internet. Unless you have a concrete example of how you’ve helped make people more free with your interests and activities, I’m think opting out of being involved in politics is more indicative of laziness, intellectual or otherwise.

There are better and worse governments and better and worse democracies. Something happened to make the better democracies/governments better. Guessing it wasn’t adolescent ennui and apathy. They’re a universal, and don’t seem to change much.